Another WSOB Update

King Kenneth, indeed!!!!!

Congratulations and keep the drive alive!

 

Wsob

Congradulations Mississippi Money Man Sound Like Repeat Of 2 Years Ago WITH THE SAME PEOPLE IN THE SHOW ALMOST

 

Way to go Ken

You all have earned your way in what a great addition to this year's show. I guess we will have to wait months to see it on GSN dang it!

 

Congrats to all the winners....wow..its gonna be a great show!

Im surprized to hear about the two 6 seat final tables....they didnt seem to be advertized....did they throw them in to accomodate the overflow???

 

Late add-on's

The final two tables were and invited tournaments for selected players only, but still with a $2,500 entry fee.

Darrell, Ken, and I were all invited, but saved $2,550 by qualifying earlier in the day and opened up three extra seats for the later events. Thank goodness, $3,575 for entries fees over the past two days was high enough...lol.

 

Lost in the mail.....

Hey what happened to my special invite? Did they have the wrong address? :laugh:

 

I agree with you Fred....you should have had the same opportunity to rebuy as those "special" other folks did...

Geesh if I get enough shots at the game Im eventially gonna win too...

Sorry Rick....I dont feel sorry that you or anyone else had to pony up some fees....Its about time in fact....Im glad that you won... but your invite seat should have went to someone like Fred or Ace, Trasht, Stormy etc..... ....but actually the invite seats make the show into just another set up game show...

Its a pity that a good player like Fred who traveled all that way doesnt get the same chance as certain privledged few ...Im sure he would have gladly put up the money...

How can a new name ever get a toe hold in this game when they keep making unfair and unequal rules to qualify into the game? Its the same old faces and not just because of their superior play... rather because they get so many chances even after they fail to make the show in an open event.

It lessens the value of the championship....I can understand inviting last years winner back....but this last stunt of WSOBJ simply devalues the show at least in my eyes...

Its not exactly fixed...but its not exactly honest, fair, or an even shot.

Each of these invitees had an unfair advantage by being in this special game....

Its like they keep making up events until they have the game fixed as they want...thats ok...its their money and their show...but dont then try to pawn it off as a legitimate and fairly played game....its not....its a set up !!!

No other way to look at it.

I heard one Pro on another site complain when Adriana Jade won because she got 2 wildcards....this is worse....because its not even random....

Bet this same guy wasnt complaining when he got another shot at a seat in WSOBJ.

KBellinkof emailed me the following....when they were deciding to open up some games...

"Hi!

I don't really watch videos of the players...don't really care what they look like or what they have to say...I'd rather open every seat to anyone who wants to earn the right to be in the World Series by winning."

I guess he changed his mind after writing that.....

Why not hold an honest, fair, and equal game?

 

Whoa.....

Rando, I believe the satellites were fair and honest. Equal - No. Hopefully KBellinkof will learn from this for the 2008 season. He's got my number! And as everyone here knows - I'm not afraid to give my opinion

 

$1,000,000 prize pool - 40 players! Yeah I guess the reality of how close I was now hits home :sad:

 

Looking at the big picture...

I understand that since I was one of the invited players is why you may think I didn't have a problem with the last two "Selected" qualifiers that were held at the LVH this week.

However the reason I didn't have a problem is because they had had already offered "ALL" players 13 seats here in Las Vegas in open qualifiers and even before that about 14 seats in open qualifiers hosted by different casinos throughout the country.

Another thing about the selected $2,550 events, had RR Darrell or I not won our seats earlier in the day, I am not sure if we would have pay another $2,550 on top of the $3,575 we had already paid for the first two qualifiers.

If you look at the big picture and see how much GSN has done for TV blackjack over their first four years you'll see they are headed in the right direction for both promoting the game and giving "ALL" players a shot at winning a seat on the WSOB.

Since the first WSOB, GSN has increased the prize pool every year (until this year), opening up qualifiers to "ALL" players (not just invited players), and they are bring in celebrities to make the show more interesting.

Here is a look at the first prize money increase over the first three years, of the WSOB, which by the way now is the biggest prize payout for an open blackjack event anywhere.

Year one: $100,000

Year two: $250,000

Year three: $500,000

This year: SAME

*Note: The first prize money is just what the winner receives for the final table, not counting what they win in each round leading up to the final table.

I applaud GSN for all they are doing to promote blackjack tournaments and giving "ALL" of us a chance to participate in these events.

 

The WSOB, like the UBT, is principally a TV show for entertainment of the masses. If the masses don't watch, the show vanishes. The players are (please forgive my choice of words here) merely entertainers/pawns in the attempt to garner a huge viewing audience. More viewers = bigger ratings = bigger ad & sponsorship dollars = even larger prize payoffs in the future. Mr. Bellinkoff certainly understands that reality. As much as it sucks if you're not one of the chosen few who are immediately recognizable to the public, that's the way it is.

 

well put, leftnut, well put!!

"we sometimes enjoy ourselves, too much"

 

Not faulting WSOBJ for trying to put on a money making deal...

I understand that some new faces are there because of the open events...

Im not sure how good it is for the overall "game"...I certainly understand that is is good for the winners..

In the long run WSOBJ may make a profit...(this is of course necessary or they wont be around long) and a few players who win will make some money but as for promoting the game??? Well maybe... but actually as to how that will help any but the selected few ...I dont see it.

By the same token....every "special invite" person had an equal chance to qualify and win a seat in a fair game and yet for some reason they failed to do so.

Sorry Tex..but I disagree that because someone won a tournament 3 or 4 years ago that they receive several extra chances...if they are in fact champions then they should be able to qualify and win in a normal equally held game....and if they can not do this then they should rest on their laurels just like any other past champ from any sport does....or do you think all sport or games should operate like this???

Michael Jordan was a great BB player so in any game he plays now lets let him take 3 shots from the line insted of the one or two every other player gets...and what will that prove or mean?...Nothing...in fact it would devalue the game and make it fake...unless of course you are playing the Harlem Globetrotters...but lets say Michael wins 1/2 a million and more so he wins that 1/2 a million out from under your honestly qualified nose...How ya gonna feel now???

How long you gonna make excuses for these washed up ex pros??? If they are still truely the best then they will win....they will be there...how can you argue against that?

WSOBJ certainly could have filled all seats w/o a special 2 table event...but they choose insted to give certain names extra shots at the pot....and you can well bet that the fee charged for that game was nothing next to the potiential prize for any of these people...Im saying it was an unfair extra chance...it devalues the meaning of the word championship and a fair game.

How about the next WSOP champ event they give Phil Helmuth another shot if he busts out early....just give him more chips...or a restart???? Hes a big name...very popular..is that fair??? This is no different....you are preselecting and giving extra and unfair odds to certain few ...thats an unequal advantage ..like getting an extra free throw shot ....it doesnt help the game...it lessens they value of it and in fact changes the meaning of what it takes to play a fair game and become a honest champion.

Its a side show trick....nothing more.

Whats next ??Battle of the Big Breasted All Stars??? Probably sell...I guess it just depends if you want to hold a game show or an honest championship...this extra event makes this into game show only.

 

My understanding...

...was that the extra rounds were not 'invitational' as the term is traditionally used. They were still open for anyone to get on a wait list to play, it was just that there was a select few that knew that the wait list existed.

So, there may have been a little manipulation to only get certain people in those games, but they were still 'open'.

I knew about the 'list' but never was able to get on it. I probably could have if I really persisted (I think Marvin got on that way), but I decided to spend my money on strippers instead. :joker:

 

Dear Swog,

I couldn’t agree with you more on your post. While I don’t pretend to speak for others I can say that when I’m on the outside, looking in, it feels lonely. Jealousy sets in at times along with frustration. Then I go to the live events and play against the “best of the best” and get to munch on humble pie all the way home!

I honestly don’t think there would be so much complaining if there were simply MORE events for all to play in. Right now the pickings are slim for open events. Sure there are good invite games but when you don’t get the invites – OUCH.

To Kevin and GSN. Thank you for providing the open event. I, for one, am grateful for the opportunity to have a shot at the brass ring. Yeah it may have seemed like I was bitchin about the invites but the reality of the situation is this: you provided an opportunity for newbie’s like me that was never available before. I simply didn’t step up to the plate when I needed to. I can complain about the cards all I want when in reality it was me and me alone that stopped me from being on your show.

Rando, the table that Kenny E won to make it to the show. Several comments: 1. Kenny won that table where he played. 2. Kenny E put up the 2500 for that table. 3. Kenny E competed to get to the Big Show and was not simply given a free pass. Was it “fair” that I wasn’t allowed to put my name on the waiting list? Yes and no. Yes because I’m a nobody in the BJ world and they wanted “names” or people with accomplishments. But No, because I showed dedication to come, plunk down 2500 once, 1000 once and I feel should have been given an opportunity for another shot.

So good luck, bad luck, who knows? I’m just thankful for the experience and opportunity. I only wish that the WSOB was shown over and over again like poker. We need MORE people to watch and understand WHAT TBJ is! Hopefully GSN could sell past years to other channels and increase viewership! I don’t know.

What I do know is this. I for one an tired of the complaining and I’m resolved to taking a more positive approach in the coming months to ANY and ALL things that are positive for the BJ community. In my mind UBT and WSOB are BOTH good and I will support them both!

 

Nice comments fgk.

Re the above quote, GSN does air past seasons of the WSOB throughout the year. In fact it's on GSN tomorrow night and every Monday at 11 p.m. EST...